Feeling nostalgic for the good old songs of TERRORGRUPPE, from the mid to late 90s? But not from Berlin (from Berlin) but from another metropolis? Well, I have a real treat here, but not from Berlin, nor from Bavaria, but from Bochum (and Dortmund). Currywurst or not, Bochum or Berlin, this album by KOMMANDO MARLIES is not only tasty, it is a delight, yes a melodic punk rock delicacy!
Looking back to the 90s: In the middle of the decade, alongside TERRORGRUPPE, PUBLIC TOYS were also a big deal, not quite as big as the former, but certainly significant for Düsseldorf, their hometown, and the surrounding area... However, how one can move from the Rhineland to the Ruhr area, like EX PUBLIC TOYS and now KOMMANDO MARLIES guitarist and now also singer Uwe Umbruch, is beyond me, but whatever.
BRIGADE S. from Wanne-Eickel, I know them from somewhere, maybe a sampler contribution? Mattes played there, definitely on bass for KOMMANDO MARLIES.
Let’s jump to the 201x years, the last decade, from which THE PIGHOUNDS come, whom I don’t know, and Sandro sat (or still sits?) behind the drums. Regardless, what’s important is this “fresh” decade, and with “Eskalation ja klar,” the three have produced THE ALBUM of spring 2020!
“Eskalation ja klar” is playing in my car in MTV - constant rotation (almost, only interrupted by traffic news / speed traps and the summer hit 2020 “Punkboys don’t cry” by KOTZREIZ, see their review)...
However, “Eskalation ja klar” has, unlike the KOTZREIZ album, no weak points, and one hit follows another, and my punk rock ears are simply spoiled for 36 minutes straight. To be precise, there are 13 tracks of 2½ – 3 minutes (more or less) melodic punk rock gems, about emotions, poetry, everyday romance, oppression, lack of identification, and friendships, like in the song “Kalt wie Eis” covered by TEMPO. The second cover song is politically oriented, in “Mädchen aus Greifswald” by TEMPEAU, it’s about a right-wing extremist girl distributing flyers in front of schools in Meck-Pomm. Two cool songs that I didn’t know before. While the 11 original KOMMANDO MARLIES songs are just as strong, as “Boxerbeat 2.0” and partly “Spiel um die Welt” also hit the same right-wing, homophobic note. The consequences of industrialization, also an interesting topic in times of globalization and the spread of Corona, are addressed in “Computer sagt nein.” Whether it’s an organic-biological or a binary-hexadecimal virus, viruses are assholes, just a side note this time.
The debut album by KOMMANDO MARLIES is definitely virus-free and simply amazing, at least the spring album of 2020! Maybe even the summer album of 2020. Let’s wait and see what, if anything, comes out in the next few months. “Eskalation ja klar” is definitely a must-buy for everyone!
I recommend the CD with its attractive booklet, although the transparent vinyl is certainly even more appealing!
What are you waiting for... BUY!!!
